A Breath Of Cold Air
by Misfit Writer
Summary: Sam, Brian, and JD were running from the freezing cold temperatures of the eye of the storm, but Sam didn't make it back fine. He breathed in the supercold air, and falls deathly ill. Will Laura tell him her feelings in time? Will he make it? COMPLETE
1. The Cold Takes Him

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Day After Tomorrow or any of the characters. The ideas are mostly mine, though!**

**Author's Note:** This is my first The Day After Tomorrow story, and I hope you like it. Please review and let me know how you felt about it. I have several other stories written, and I need to know if I should post them or not! Thanks and enjoy!

**Summary:** Sam, Brian and JD had been running from the freezing cold of the eye of the super cell. But, instead of them all making it back just fine, Sam breathes in the incredibly cold air, and gets very sick. Laura wakes up to see him dying, but awake, and they share their feelings while the others rest. Will Jack make it to them in time to save his son? PG-13 for mild language and tense scenes

* * *

**CHAPTER 1: The Cold Takes Him**

**SAM**

"Go, Brian, go! Shut the door as soon as we get in!" I ordered, dragging JD with me towards the room. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the ice covering the floor right behind me, and I knew that if we didn't get in the room right then we never would. I shoved JD ahead, took a deep breath to lunge, and stumbled. Ice-cold air made my body lock up for a moment.

"Sam!" Brian cried, yanking me in the room as Claire started to shut the door. "Hey Sam, are you okay?" he questioned after watching me for a minute. I struggled to breathe, coldness filling my lungs, not allowing them to expand. I had taken a breath of the –150 degree air, and I knew that it would kill me sooner or later. Every beat of my heart sent knives to my chest.

"What's wrong? What happened, Sam?" The pain-filled voice belonged to JD, who was filling the syringe with the medication that would save Laura. _Laura, _I thought. _I never told her how I felt. I should have listened to JD when he first told me that I should tell her. _

"Cold…air…in my…lungs," I choked out, gasping between each word. The freezing pain became steady, and my breaths slowed slightly. I clenched my jaw and fought the bout of nausea that had overcome me.

"Oh no…uhhh…uhhh…c'mon, lets get you by the-" Brian's voice faded quickly as weakness took over and I passed out.

* * *

**LAURA**

I faintly heard panicked voices, and felt a prick on my arm. Soon, my head started to clear, though my leg was throbbing.

"C'mon, Laura, please be okay. I don't wanna lose either of you," I heard Brian plead. My eyes fluttered open slowly, adjusting to the dark light. "Hey, welcome back. We bandaged up your leg, and you had blood poisoning. How are you feeling?"

"I feel dizzy, but better," I groaned. My voice was still a little hoarse. Looking around, I saw JD, Claire, and Sylvia standing around me with Brian, and the homeless man standing next to his dog. The brown-and-white mutt was laying close to something, though the man was standing in front of him and blocking my view. What was the thing on the ground? Glancing around again, I noticed that there was someone missing, and my heart skipped a beat. "Sam!"

I jumped to my feet, but regretted it an instant later, when my knees gave out. JD and Brian caught me, though Brian's grip was more firm, and normal, than JD's. I looked over to him, and saw the bandages wrapped around his ankle. Our eyes met, and he gave me a look that told me not to ask, just to relax.

"Laura, stay sitting, you're still trying to get over the blood poisoning. Take it easy please. There isn't anything you can do for him anyways," Brian insisted, pushing me back down. The homeless man stepped aside, and I saw Sam lying there, breathing lightly, and very pale. He looked like he was almost dead.

"What happened?!" I questioned sharply, my breaths shortening with shock and fear. _I don't know what I'd do if something happened to him. He told me that I was the reason that he joined the team, but I never told him how much I care about him too, _I thought. _I never even realized it until we were up in that plane and the storm was getting really bad…_

"Well…we had to run to the ship out there to get medicine for you, because if we didn't, you would die. And I don't think Sam would have let that happen…I think he would have gone out and frozen to death rather than watch you suffer…so we went out there. The eye of the storm came over us just as we got the medicine, so we had to race back here, but were delayed by a pack of wolves. Once we got back into the building, we had to make it back into the room and shut the door before we were safe. Sam was helping JD, who had been bitten by a wolf. He pushed JD in the room, and just barely made it in alive. But he took a breath of the super cold air, and now he's really sick. We don't know what else to do but have the dog and the fire keep him warm but it doesn't seem to be helping. I think that if his father doesn't make it here soon, Sam will…Sam'll…" Brian stopped, unable to say the one word that we all feared for each other.

"Oh, God…what are we going to do? We have to do something to help him!" I insisted. Brian sighed.

"What do you propose we do? The eye is still over us for the next few minutes, and everything that is outside is frozen solid. We only have what is in this room, Laura. We can't do anything for Sam anymore. Only a hospital can."

"No…there has to be another way to help him. There just has to be!" Tears came to my eyes quickly. There had to be some way to help him…there just had to be. _If he wakes up…I have to tell him that I love him. He has to know._

"I'm so sorry, Laura. There is no other way. Look, we're all tired and need some sleep. Why don't we take turns watching over him, let someone know if something changes?" JD suggested. I nodded.

"I'll go first." The tone of my voice left no room for argument, and the others nodded, wrapping their coats around themselves and drifting into sleep. I stood slowly and moved towards Sam's still figure, and started to pet the dog subconsciously. _Please, Sam, I can't lose you now. Fight it, stay with me, please._


	2. Their Feelings Shared

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Day After Tomorrow or any of the characters. The ideas are mostly mine, though!**

**Author's Note:** This is my first The Day After Tomorrow story, and I hope you like it. Please review and let me know how you felt about it. I have several other stories written, and I need to know if I should post them or not! Thanks and enjoy!

**Summary:** Sam, Brian and JD had been running from the freezing cold of the eye of the super cell. But, instead of them all making it back just fine, Sam breathes in the incredibly cold air, and gets very sick. Laura wakes up to see him dying, but awake, and they share their feelings while the others rest. Will Jack make it to them in time to save his son? PG-13 for mild language and tense scenes

* * *

**CHAPTER 2: Their Feelings Shared**

**LAURA**

I watched Sam, tears filling my eyes. The others had drifted to sleep. The homeless man left me to care for his dog, which I agreed to easily. He would be able to keep me company until Sam woke. **_If Sam woke, _**I thought sadly.

Why did he have to go to the ship for me? Why did he have to risk his life? If he hadn't, we would be sitting across from each other on the couch, keeping each other warm while we talk. But instead, he was dying, right before my eyes. His lungs were slowly losing their ability to expand and give him air. Why did it have to be him?

"Oh, Sam, please wake up. I need to tell you something important…something that I should have told you a long time ago…before the storms hit. But you have to be awake…I need you awake…I need you to hear me," I pleaded softly; caressing his cold, pale cheek.

Amazingly, Sam groaned, and his eyes fluttered open slightly. Whether he was reacting to my voice or my touch I wasn't sure, but I really didn't care either. All that mattered was that he was responding. He looked around. Then, his gaze fell on me, and he smiled. I did the same, a single tear slipping down my cheek. "L-Laura?" His voice was raspy, and dangerously weak.

I brushed some hair out of his eyes. "I'm here, Sam…I-I'm here. Try not to speak a lot. Only slow, calm breaths. You have to save your strength until we can get you out of here and to a hospital. Your dad is on his way, you'll be better soon I promise," I assured, more to myself than to him. Sam simply nodded, so I continued. "Okay…I…uh…I have to tell you something, so don't speak." I took a deep breath. "Sam, there's something I should have told you a while ago. For a long time, since you joined the decathlon, I've had feelings for you. I was never sure how strong they were, so I didn't act on them. But now…I know that I have to. When the plane had hit the turbulence…and when I had thought that you'd drowned downstairs when you were talking to your dad, I realized something. Something that I should have realized a long time ago…I realized that I love you."

When Sam's eyes went wide with shock and he opened his mouth to speak, I placed a gentle hand over it, smiling. I wanted nothing else than to kiss him, but I knew in my heart that I couldn't yet. "Shh…don't speak…don't say anything, or I might have to kiss you to shut you up. You know as well as I do that it would do no one good for us to both be sick. But that means that you have to fight it…you have to stay with me Sam…so that I can kiss you as much as I want when we get home and get you on your feet again." I looked deep into his eyes, and saw the love and understanding in his eyes…emotions that were nearly overshadowed by the pain and weakness in them, and my heart cried for him. I was torn, seeing him in so much pain, all because of me. "Why did you have to go and do that for me…if you didn't you'd be fine right now…" Tears began to fall freely from my eyes just then.

Despite my orders, Sam pulled my hand from his mouth and took a deep breath. "Laura, I don't know…if I can make it much longer. So…I have to…tell you now…that I've loved you…since the moment that I met you…and I wouldn't change this…for anything." He paused to catch his breath, reaching up to wipe the tears from my cheeks. I grabbed his cold hand and held it close to me in an attempt to warm it up. "If you hadn't…gotten that medicine, you would be dead right now…and I could never…live with that. I'd do…anything…for you." I could see how much talking had taken out of him, and it killed me to see his already pale skin fade even whiter. Fresh tears sprang to my eyes, and I bent my head to kiss his hand. I refused to let him go now, after we had survived thus far. I would not let myself be the reason that the one that I loved would die. I vowed then and there that I would do anything it took to keep him safe and alive.

"Sam, you are so amazing. You're a very strong person. You're the reason that we are still alive. You can make it through this…I know you can. Get some rest; you need to keep up your strength. I won't leave your side, I promise. I'll be right here if you need me until your dad comes. Just stay with me, don't you give up, okay? I love you, Sam Hall."

He smiled up at me softly, before his eyes drifted closed and sleep took him from me. I tucked the layers of blankets that he had over him closer, and rested my head on his shoulder. The dog got up and came around Sam to curl up in the space between him and I to keep him warm, and fell back to sleep. I started to pet his shaggy fur, lulling myself to sleep unintentionally.

I was running down the stairs, just behind Sam. He looked around and found the payphone, and leapt forward off the stairs and onto the floor that they were on. When he nearly stopped and groaned softly from the freezing cold water, I reached for him, but he had already reached the phone, and informed me that they worked. As he dialed and started to talk with his mother and father, I noticed the water rising quickly. Soon enough, it was above his waist, and he slipped off the platform that the phones were on and fell underwater. I screamed his name, but he came up a few seconds later, soaked and shivering. The water continued to rise, above Sam's height, to the point where he was holding himself steady with the ceiling. I called for him, as I was no longer able to see him, and then his voice was cut off. He was trapped underwater. I called his name over and over again, getting frantic, but he didn't surface. I stood there for five minutes, screaming his name, until I saw something move underwater. Something resurfaced, and I screamed. It was Sam's still, lifeless body.

"NO!" I cried, jerking awake. I frantically looked beside me and saw Sam lying there, still asleep, his chest rising and falling inconsistently. The dog had jumped up, startled for a moment, then curled up again and fell back to sleep. When I looked around, breathing heavily, I saw Brian coming over to me, a concerned look on his face.

"Are you okay, Laura?" He questioned softly. I nodded.

"Yeah…just a dream…" I shook my head to try to erase the pictures from the dream, but to no avail.

"Any change?"

"Well, he woke for a few minutes before I fell asleep, but then he fell back asleep. I told him that he needed to rest and hang in until his father got here. Do you think Mr. Hall will make it, Brian?" I questioned, dreading the answer to that myself. His face held a sad type of pain. We looked at each other for a moment, and I rested my head back down, brushing my fingertips over Sam's chest and shoulders.

"For Sam's sake, God, I hope so."


	3. The Search and The Concern

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Day After Tomorrow or any of the characters. The ideas are mostly mine, though!**

**Author's Note**: This is my first The Day After Tomorrow story, and I hope you like it. Please review and let me know how you felt about it. I have several other stories written, and I need to know if I should post them or not! Thanks and enjoy!

**Summary:** Sam, Brian and JD had been running from the freezing cold of the eye of the super cell. But, instead of them all making it back just fine, Sam breathes in the incredibly cold air, and gets very sick. Laura wakes up to see him dying, but awake, and they share their feelings while the others rest. Will Jack make it to them in time to save his son? PG-13 for mild language and tense scenes

**Review Responses:** Thank you sooo much to those of you who reviewed…I've never had any reviews on the first week I posted a story…let alone the first day! I love you all you make me feel so special…lol. But there were a couple questions/comments that I wanted to respond to.

_**Sarah:**_ It was JD who was attacked by the wolf, cause Brian and Sam were dragging him bad in the raft that JD had accidentally found and Brian went ahead to open the door or something. But thanks for the review!! Lol

**_Maigain_:** There was a story? Was it called the same thing? Lol cause some movies change the name of the book…but anyways…thanks so much for my first review for the story!!

_**All:**_ I promise there will be many more chapters and drama and suspense…lol and I'll try to post every other day, or maybe every day once in a while but I need ideas cause I know what I'm going to do once they get to the helicopter but I don't know what to do before then. If you have any ideas, please e-mail me at , cause I don't always check the e-mail I have for this account. Thanks so much for your reviews again, they motivate me to write more, faster!!

* * *

**CHAPTER 3: The Search and The Concern**

**JACK**

I looked over at Jason, who was still too in shock to talk much. We both didn't believe that Frank was gone, and that there had been nothing that we could do to stop him. But we both knew that he sacrificed himself so that we could trudge on, and save my son and the others that had survived with him. Or had at least made it longer than the others, I thought, knowing the painful truth that it was highly unlikely that more than a handful of people had survived that with no damage done. I honestly didn't really care how many people survive this, so long as Sam makes it out okay.

"Jase, you can't blame yourself for it. He did what he had to in order to save as many as we could, and there was no changing his mind, you saw that in his eyes. Please, I need you with me on this, I can't do it on my own, and I sure as hell don't want to lose you too."

My friend and co-worker looked at me, and sighed. "I know…I know there was nothing we could do, but I just can't help but think that we could have avoided the whole situation, you know? If we had been paying more attention to where we were walking and read the signs, we would have never ended up on top of the galleria."

I stared at him for a moment, slightly caught off-guard. After a moment, I shook my head, never taking my eyes from his. "No, it wasn't possible to have known that we were on top of the galleria, unless we had brushed the snow away every step we took. The glass could have looked like the water if the metal bars weren't there, and it was just as slippery as ice. There was absolutely NO way to have known or avoided it. The water was just too high and froze at the top of the building," I assured. Jason looked away, but didn't stop walking. I watched him for a moment, saddened by his self-blame and pain that he felt towards Frank's death.

"Let's just get to your son and make sure that he and his friends are alright." He paused. "But what are we going to do if someone is hurt or sick?"

I hated to think that Sam or his friends could be hurt or worse, but I knew we had to have some kind of plan just in case it happened, as in a disaster so terrible as this one, it is very likely for someone to get seriously hurt. I stopped walking. "I honestly don't know. We have that damned sled that we have our supplies on, we could drag someone out that way, or we could find something in the library to use. But if anyone is dead, there isn't any way that we can take them home to have a proper burial…we have to leave them."

The two of us looked at each other for a moment, nodded, and continued to trudge through the snow. I looked up and saw the Statue of Liberty, covered in ice and snow, and a chill ran up my spine. I prayed that Sam was okay.

* * *

**BRIAN**

I watched Sam and Laura, Laura resting peacefully against Sam's shoulder now that her nightmare was over. Sam, on the other hand, was trembling and breathing irregularly. My best friend's bad condition terrified me. Sam Hall was and always had been a born leader, even though he didn't want to be it. He was good at keeping everyone calm and together in tense situations. Now, he was lying of the floor next to the fire with a pillow under his head and three blankets on him, with a dog and Laura snuggled next to him to keep him warm. Now Sam was the one that needed help, and the help he needed was beyond our reach.

"What are we going to do…what would we do without you? You can't leave us, Sam, we need you," I whispered as softly as I could, not wanting to wake anyone. I stood and fed the fire with a couple of books, not wanting to risk the fire going down and not keeping Sam warm.

"He'll make it, Brian, he's strong. You and Laura know that even more than he does, I think," JD assured from behind me. I turned, and saw him standing behind the couch that I had been sitting on. "He doesn't have enough faith in himself, he couldn't even bring himself to tell Laura how he felt. But now look at where he is. He risked his life for the one girl that he loves more than anything, and now he's slowly dying. But he will make it. He's done too much for all of us in this room. If it weren't for him, every last one of us would be dead right now. He deserves more than anyone to live."

I smiled at JD, knowing deep down that everything he said was true, and praying that he was right and Sam would make it. "Yeah…I guess you're right. It's just…I've known Sam for a few years, since Freshman year, and I have never seen him sick, he just didn't miss school. And after three years, seeing him so close to death…so pale and weak…it just really scares me."

JD came over and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "I know, Bri. I understand how you feel. How about, when the sun comes up and Laura wakes up, why don't we just talk, let out our worry and concern for a little while?"

His desire to help us was slightly surprising. I had thought from the beginning that JD was nothing but a rich snob. Apparently, I was wrong. "Sure…that sounds great to me…just so long as Laura is okay with it," I replied happily.

The two of us waited until morning came, talking a little bit but not much, until Laura woke up form her rest.

"Good morning, Laura," JD greeted warmly. She glanced at Sam for a moment as if to make sure he was still breathing, and stood.

"Good morning." Her hair was messy and she looked like she hadn't slept in days despite her nightlong nap, but I knew that she didn't care at all. Things like that just didn't matter when someone you care about is sick.

"Hey, do you want to come over and talk, just the three of us?" I questioned softly, touching her arm. She met my eyes, and after a moment, nodded. She cast a final glance at Sam, who had broken out in a cold sweat, and the dog still lying against him to keep him warm, and followed JD and I to the corner.

"How are you doing?" JD asked her softly, looking her over a couple of times and seeing the same exhausted pain that I saw. She avoided our eyes, and avoided looking at Sam also.

"I talked to him last night…I told him that I love him," she murmured, almost too softly for me to hear.

"He feels the same way about you, but you could probably tell…" I replied, almost afraid to say anything that might upset her. She shook her head.

"I know he loves me…he told me…I had talked to him last night. He had woken up and I told him how I felt and he did the same for me. But it took a lot out of him so I told him to get some more rest. I told him that I wouldn't leave his side until he was safe with his father."

Laura's eyes were wide as she spoke, almost without any pause. She was rambling, shocked and confused. She didn't know how to handle what was happening to Sam, and I could see that she was close to breaking down completely. I moved closer to her and hugged her tightly, not letting her go for a few minutes. I felt something cold and wet hit my shoulder, and I knew that she was crying. Her arms tightened around me as she cried. I simply stroked her hair to try to comfort her. I knew half of what she felt. The other half, I knew I couldn't even come close to understanding. Half of her pain was for her friend, but the other half of her pain was for the man she loved.


	4. Not So Stable

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Day After Tomorrow or any of the characters. The ideas are mostly mine, though!**

**Author's Note:** This is my first The Day After Tomorrow story, and I hope you like it. Please review and let me know how you felt about it. I have several other stories written, and I need to know if I should post them or not! Thanks and enjoy!

**Summary:** Sam, Brian and JD had been running from the freezing cold of the eye of the super cell. But, instead of them all making it back just fine, Sam breathes in the incredibly cold air, and gets very sick. Laura wakes up to see him dying, but awake, and they share their feelings while the others rest. Will Jack make it to them in time to save his son? PG-13 for mild language and tense scenes

**Review Responses:** Thank you sooo much to those of you who reviewed…I've never had any reviews on the first week I posted a story…let alone the first day! I love you all you make me feel so special…lol. But there were a couple questions/comments that I wanted to respond to:

_**Sarah:**_ I believe that Brian is the other kid from the decathlon team, Sam and Laura's friend. Thank you so much for your encouraging reviews! They mean a lot to me!!!

_**SparkingDiamond:**_ I have e-mailed already and asked for a category, so maybe if more people e-mail them that they will get the hint and make a category! I hope they do, more people will read the stories and make some of their own! Thanks for the review…please post more on your story too I loved it!

And now, on to the next chapter of my story, with an interesting twist…

* * *

**CHAPTER 4: Not So Stable**

**LAURA**

For three hours Brian, JD and I talked, mostly about Sam or the situation at hand. After I had almost lost it in Brian's arms, I had gotten my act back together and kept most of my emotions hidden. I knew I had to be strong, at least for a little while. I didn't want to break down in front of them, but I knew I wouldn't last much longer.

"Laura, how did you first meet Sam? I mean, I met him at the first meeting for the decathlon, but he's told me you knew him a while before," Brian questioned softly. I smiled, remembering the day we had met. We had never been really close, but I'd known him for a couple of years.

"Well, in the seventh grade, there was this guy that really liked me and wouldn't leave me alone. One day, he had been harassing me, and shoved me into the wall. Sam just happened to have been walking by, and saw the whole argument we had. The guy was getting ready to hit me, because I told him to get away from me, and Sam stepped in." I laughed, seeing Brian's surprise, and JD's amusement, and continued. "He grabbed the guy's arm and pulled him back, telling me to move behind him. Sam then pushed the guy into the wall and got close in his face, and said: 'If you touch her again, I swear to you that you'll regret it.' I was shocked that some guy that I didn't even know was sticking up for me."

Brian laughed hysterically for a moment, before catching his breath. "Are you sure we're talking about Sam Hall here? Well, okay, for you, I guess I understand, but I never saw Sam as a physical kind of guy. He's too quiet and smart to get into that kind of stuff."

"Yeah, well, he stuck up for me, and after that, the guy left me alone save for one time, when Sam wasn't anywhere around, but this was in the eight grade. I got away from him, and Sam found out what happened the next day, and gave the guy a black eye and a bloody nose."

"How much trouble did he get in?" JD questioned, laughing a bit. I smiled again, remembering that he told me that he never got in trouble until that day. "He got three days suspension for it. The first and only time he had ever gotten in trouble at school."

"And obviously you two became friends after that?" Brian offered. I looked him, nodding.

"We didn't get close until we both joined the team, but we talked every once in a while. He was there whenever something was wrong or I needed an ear. And I did the same for him. But I never knew until a few months ago that he liked me. He was never as obvious as he has been recently, never so straightforward. The shame of it is, had I have known, I would have told him that I liked him myself." As soon as those last words came out of my mouth, I froze. I had just told his best friend and a new friend the way I felt about Sam. A blush rushed to my cheeks as the other two looked at each other and laughed. "Oops…"

"Wow…thanks for telling me, Laura," Brian chuckled. He rubbed his stomach and sighed. "But I'm hungry, we need to look for more food."

I looked at him, confused. "But everything would be frozen, you felt more of the eye's cold than I did."

"Yeah, Brian, there would be no food left," JD agreed.

My friend shook his head. "The glass would have shattered, so the food would have been exposed, but still in the wrappers. It would be easy to find any vending machines, so all we have to do is heat it by the fire."

"It makes sense. Bri, why don't you stay here and keep an eye on Sam and the others, we'll go find it. We shouldn't be gone for more than an hour, so if we aren't back by then, just come looking for us."

"Be careful, you two. Who knows how stable the building is," Brian warned, placing a hand on my and JD's shoulders. We both nodded, and headed out the door.

"I think we should start out one floor up, then go up a couple of floors then down as far as we can," JD suggested. I agreed silently, and we both began looking for the stairs. I found then easily, and we ran up them. Everything was covered in a blanket of snow and ice, so it was slippery. JD caught me a couple of times, and I grabbed his arm when he tripped on the top step of the stairwell.

"Let's look over here, it looks like there's something over here." I pointed to a room across the way, and started heading over.

As soon as I stepped foot into the room, I knew something was wrong. There was a crack along the floor, and it was sagging underneath a desk that was also covered in snow. My footsteps were timid and slow, and JD saw what I was doing and did the same. "JD, we need to get out of here, the floor isn't going to hold out much longer."

"I agree, c'mon, back out slow and easy."

Even as he spoke, I knew there was no way we would get out in time. The floor gave a big crack, and gave out underneath us. I screamed, gasping when I hit the ground below. JD moaned softly, and I had to close my eyes for a minute to let the world slow its spinning.

"Laura, are…are you okay?" he questioned. I heard him moving, and through the dust and ice, saw him stand.

"I think so…I'm not really hurt, I just think I strained my neck a little. Are you hurt?"

I stood as well, yelping when the floor shifted. I jumped off of it, and walked over to JD.

"I'm fine. I guess the building's not so stable after all, just like Brian said. It's a miracle that neither of us got hurt, though. Look at all the debris that fell from the room." I followed his suggestion, and had to look again. There were only a few spots of the fallen floor that weren't covered with some object or another, including shards of ice. I glanced around the room once more, looking for the door, and cursed when I saw it. It was blocked by the desk, which had been weighing down on the floor.

"Oh great, look at the door. It's blocked. Brian and the others probably heard the crash, but they won't be able to get in here. We're trapped."


	5. Winter Wonderland

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Day After Tomorrow or any of the characters. The 'winter wonderland' statement and the going to the other skyscraper for food were ideas given to me by Clintronic Waldrop. Thanks again!!**

**Author's Note:** This is my first The Day After Tomorrow story, and I hope you like it. Please review and let me know how you felt about it. I have several other stories written, and I need to know if I should post them or not! Thanks and enjoy!

**Summary:** Sam, Brian and JD had been running from the freezing cold of the eye of the super cell. But, instead of them all making it back just fine, Sam breathes in the incredibly cold air, and gets very sick. Laura wakes up to see him dying, but awake, and they share their feelings while the others rest. Will Jack make it to them in time to save his son? PG-13 for mild language and tense scenes

**Review Responses:** Thank you sooo much to those of you who reviewed…I've never had any reviews on the first week I posted a story…let alone the first day! I love you all you make me feel so special…lol. But there were a couple questions/comments that I wanted to respond to:

_**Clintronic Waldrop:**_ wow…thank you sooo much for those reviews…you seriously had me in tears reading them…no one has ever written something so encouraging…thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou. You are such a great inspiration for me…lol. Thanks so much for the ideas, and I am definitely going to use all of them in this story! You're the best!!

And now, on to the next chapter!

* * *

**CHAPTER 5:Winter Wonderland**

**BRIAN**

I heard the crash from the next room over, and jumped to my feet. My heart raced, and fears were running through my mind. The noise could have been a number of things. Laura and JD could have been in the room directly above and the floor had given out, which gave them little chance of not getting hurt, or the building was collapsing into itself, which could mean that we would be next.

"What was that," Judith questioned, horrified. I glanced at her, then to Sam, who still hadn't moved. If that didn't wake him, there was little that could.

"I honestly don't know, there are a number of things that could have happened, most not good for us or for Laura and JD," I explained. A muffled sound from the room in questioned caught my attention, and I raised my hand to silence everyone, slowly making my way to the wall to listen more carefully.

I heard the tail end of the talking, and cursed under my breath. I had heard Laura mutter 'We're trapped', though she didn't sound as if she were hurt.

"Laura and JD are in there, I can hear them. I'm going to go next door and try to get them out of there before they get hurt. Elsa, watch Sam closely, okay? If there is any change, come and get me right away." I turned to walk out the door, when Judith grabbed my arm.

"Be careful, Brian. We don't want to lose anyone else." Her eyes were filled with concern and worry, and sadness. I shot her a questioning look as she released me.

"We haven't lost anyone that was with us yet, Laura and JD are just stuck. I'll get them out of there," I insisted. Who was she talking about, who did we lose? I thought hard to think of anyone that had died, but couldn't remember any.

"Oh, we've lost Sam. He won't last another day here in this cold." Sudden fury filled my entire body, and I stomped away from her.

"We did NOT lose Sam! He's lying right there, alive! Breathing! If something happened in the last few second that I didn't see, please tell me! My best friend is NOT dead and he WILL make it! Can't you see how strong he is?! He pulled himself together in this chaos in order to save us! He's the only reason we are alive! He pulled himself together to save LAURA! He saved someone's life! And you can't see how much strength it took for him to take charge and help us all when we were terrified out of our wits?! I won't give up on Sam, not when he's brought us this far. Not when he still has a chance." I stared Judith down for a moment, surprised at how much anger had boiled up in me in those few seconds.

"Brian, there is no chance for him. Even if he gets to a hospital, they won't know what to do to save him. I'm sorry son, but it's just too late for him."

"No! Don't you dare say that! HE IS NOT GOING TO DIE, DAMNIT!" I yelled, stalking out of the room. I stood in front of the door that kept Laura and JD from getting back to us, and pounded my fist on it. "Laura! JD! It's Brian, can you hear me?"

"Brian! Brian, we're trapped in here! The door's blocked!" Laura responded, her voice muffled.

"Are either of you hurt? Which way does the door open?" I prayed that they were both fine, because if there was something blocking the door and I could push it out of the way, they would both be able to slide out.

"We're both fine! There's a desk blocking the door!"

An idea came to me just then, and I smiled. "Okay, Laura, you and JD pull the desk as hard as you can, and I'm going to try to push it out, okay?" If it worked and they were okay, then the three of us could look for more food together, and work faster.

"Alright! We're ready when you are!" JD called from the other side of the door.

"One, two three, NOW!" I ordered, pushing the door with all my might. It groaned in protest, and then finally started to budge. "Keep going, keep going, its moving! We've almost got you out!" My shoulder was starting to get sore, but I didn't care. I pushed the pain aside, and shoved harder. My friends' lives were at stake, and I was giving no second thoughts.

"Okay Bri, it's wide enough for us to slip through. We're coming!" I backed away, panting, and watched as a dust-covered Laura and JD came through the completely white doorway. Only after I stopped pushing and waited did I realize how cold the door had been, so I hugged the two closely, then ushered them into the room.

"C'mon, we gotta warm up, it's cold out there."

"Yeah, quite the winter wonderland, huh?" Laura scoffed, shivering. We made our way to the fire, ignoring the comments of the others in the room for a moment. I snickered at her comment.

"Some wonderland. Look at all that has happened…thousands, probably millions of people have frozen in this incredible cold, and you had almost died from blood poisoning, you two just fell through a frozen floor, and Sam is dying. Oh yeah, that's what I call a wonderland."

"It's going to be alright, you guys. We will all make it through okay. At least, mostly okay," Elsa interjected, gesturing towards Sam sadly. Laura ran to his side.

"Any change, Elsa?" I questioned, praying that there had been yet at the same time praying that there hadn't. It tore me up to watch my best friends dying, Sam literally and Laura emotionally.

* * *

**LAURA**

"No, sorry, no change. At all, he hasn't even moved. Well, aside from his breathing."

I stared down at Sam, sorrow taking over. He had so much yet to do in life, it wasn't his time yet! Deep down, though I hated to admit it, I knew that if he didn't get medical attention in the next few days, a week at the most, he would die. Every day he grew paler. His skin was covered in a freezing cold sweat, and his whole body shuddered terribly sometimes. He needed food and water, he was just as malnourished as the rest of us, but it hurt him more with his condition. "Brian, we have to go find more food. What…what about in another building? There has to be more food somewhere."

"I'll go with you," he insisted. JD nodded. "Elsa, could you keep an eye on him again? We should be back soon."

"Sure," the girl agreed. The three of us walked out of the room.

"The stairwell is over here," I whispered loudly, my mind wandering to Sam again, as it had been frequently for a few days. The two boys…no, young men, they were no longer boys anymore…the two young men followed me down the stairs and out the only way that was still open. As soon as I was out of the library, I gasped. Two men were in front of me wearing snow jackets and gear.

"Laura? Brian?" the man in front questioned, disbelief in his voice. I stared at him for a moment, shock and relief flooding through me. My knees started to give out on me from the utter miracle that had just taken place, so I ran up to the man and hugged him tightly.

"Mr. Hall! Oh, Mr. Hall thank God you're here! You're just in time!"

"Laura, where is Sam?" I pulled away, looking at him with wide eyes. How did I tell a man that his son was dying, and he had little time left? I glanced at Brian, unsure of what to say. Thankfully, he stepped up to Mr. Hall. His eyes were full of pain, and sympathy.

"I think you'd better come with us."


	6. The 'Rescue'

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Day After Tomorrow or any of the characters. There is a spot in here that the idea was given to me by Clintronic Waldrop. I'll point it out when it comes.**

**Author's Note:** This is my first The Day After Tomorrow story, and I hope you like it. Please review and let me know how you felt about it. I have several other stories written, and I need to know if I should post them or not! Thanks and enjoy!

**Summary:** Sam, Brian and JD had been running from the freezing cold of the eye of the super cell. But, instead of them all making it back just fine, Sam breathes in the incredibly cold air, and gets very sick. Laura wakes up to see him dying, but awake, and they share their feelings while the others rest. Will Jack make it to them in time to save his son? PG-13 for mild language and tense scenes

**Review Responses:** Thank you sooo much to those of you who reviewed…I've never had any reviews on the first week I posted a story…let alone the first day! I love you all you make me feel so special…lol. But there were a couple questions/comments that I wanted to respond to:

_**Clintronic Waldrop**_: You are still the person who has given me the best reviews, and you keep me posting as fast as I am! Thank you so much for the inspiration!! You are so sweet!

_** Kelly9**_: Wow…that is the most constructive review that I've ever gotten…thank you so much. You have no idea how much that means to me. I hope I can keep the story going well, thank you for pointing those things out, now I know exactly what to do! Thank you soooo much!!

_** Maigain**_: I hope I posted more in time…lol I've been gone most of the day so I'm working on this pretty late, I hope I can get it posted soon. I've never posted so consistently before, but I think its because f all the great reviews I'm getting from you guys so please keep it up! They help me keep going!

_**Sarah:**_ I don't want to give anything away, but it's going to be a few chapters before Sam wakes up. I'm not 100 sure where I'm going to go with this, but I know what I'm going to do up until chapter 11 I think.

_**All:**_ Thank you soo much for the reviews, please keep sending them with critiques and especially ideas! I need to know what you all want in order to keep it to your liking! Lol you all inspire me so much!

And now, on to the next chapter!

* * *

**CHAPTER 6: The 'Rescue'**

**JACK**

"I think you'd better come with us." Those words were bouncing around in my head. What did that mean? What the hell did that mean?! Why did he look so much in pain? What was going on? My heart raced, my mind refusing to realize what could have happened to my son.

I followed Laura, Brian, and a boy that I didn't recognize, who were all trudging through the snow with a defeated slump of their shoulders, and sadness in their eyes. We traveled up a flight of stairs, and Jason and I were led to a room with an orange glow showing under the door.

"Laura, what's going on?" I questioned frantically, afraid of what I was going to find once I walked into the room. She merely looked at me, tears brimming her eyes. She took my arm, and tugged gently, until I finally crossed the threshold into the warm room, free of ice and snow.

"Mr. Hall, Sam's over here," Brian called from in front of the fire place, kneeling down so he was just barely visible over the back of the couch. I glanced at Laura, and then ran to his side. Lying on the ground before him was my son. His appearance made me gasp. He was extremely pale, and his face was covered in sweat, and his breathing didn't seem consistent.

"Who are they, how did they find us, what are they doing here?!" a girl questioned frantically, backing away from Jason and I. I ignored her, and looked back up at Brian.

"What happened to him, what happened to Sam?" My voice cracked in the middle of my sentence. Laura came over and knelt down across from me, on the other side of my son. Her eyes were full of worry and fear, matching my own emotions perfectly.

"Well, see…he uh…we don't know exactly what happened, other than…" He paused, seemingly not wanting to continue. I spun around and rose to my feet.

"Other than WHAT, Brian? What the hell happened to my son?!"

He took a deep breath, his brow furrowing with frustration. That's when it hit me at how seriously hurt me must be, and how much pain his friends were in watching him suffer. Fear hit hard as he spoke. "Well, you see, Laura had gotten blood poisoning, so we had to find some medicine for her or she would die. We had gone out to the ship that is out there, and did find some. On the way out, the eye of the storm was passing over us, so we were trying to run from it as fast as possible. We all made it back just fine, save for Sam. He…he took a breath and got a lungful of the freezing cold air. He passed out a few seconds later."

Laura brushed some of the matted hair away from Sam's eyes, and opened her mouth to speak. "He's been getting worse ever since. We were looking for some food and water, because we're all getting hungry again, but Sam needs it the most. He's malnourished on top of being really sick. We have to do something for him."

"Jack, the helicopter is on its way, we have to get out there," Jason muttered. I glanced up at him, and nodded.

"Okay, everyone listen closely. We are going to hike out to the ocean and wait for a helicopter there, which will take us to the American Embassy in Mexico. Take only what you can carry for a long walk. But first I need to know everyone's name in case of an emergency." I turned to Jason. "Bring the sled over, I'm going to drag Sam on it."

As Jason grabbed the sled and Brian helped me place my dying son on it, I tried not to look at him.

"Mr. Hall, this is JD, Elsa, Luther, Judith, and…" As Laura rattled off the names, I unintentionally tuned her out, concentrating more on my son than anything. A few of the strangers came over to me and shook my hand, thanking me for saving them, and did the same for Jason.

"But why are we going all the way to Mexico?" the young woman named Elsa questioned quietly. I turned to her, not wanting to admit the truth, that the entire northern United States had been destroyed.

"We have to go to Mexico because that is where everyone in the country was evacuated to. I will explain everything to you once we get there and are all safe. For now, we have to get moving. Every second wasted is another second that we risk hitting a lingering storm."

"Stay calm, everyone, please, it will make our trip to the helicopter so much easier if you all just remain calm. We will get you out of here and to safety soon." No one protested, but everyone remained silent. It seemed to me like the truth and the reality of what had happened to them had started to sink in.

I gripped the rope tightly, and lead the group out, with Sam dragging close behind me. I prayed with all my heart that he would make it, that he was strong enough to fight just a little while longer, until we could get him to a hospital. Brian, JD and Jason helped me carry Sam down the stairs, and we made our way out past the Statue of Liberty, to where a helicopter was waiting in the distance, the rotor blades spinning too fast for the eye to see.

* * *

**LAURA**

As we walked, I kept a close eye on Sam. If it was possible, he looked like he was even paler than before. The one time that we stopped to rest, I sat on the ice next to him, taking his hand and not leaving his side. Mr. Hall did the same thing, but neither of us spoke. A couple of times I glanced up to look closely at Sam's father, smiling at how much his son looked like him. His eyes held a great and terrible pain, and I could only imagine how hard it was to see the son that he barely ever saw, laying on a sled, slowly slipping from life's loose grip.

"Okay, let's keep going, we're almost there!" he finally called to the others. For a moment I didn't move, and he held out his hand to help me up. I took it gratefully, and held eye contact with him for a few moments. It seemed like a silent bond had been created then, we being ones that loved Sam more than anything and being willing to do anything for him.

"Thank you, Mr. Hall." He only nodded, then turned to keep walking. I followed a little behind, so I could continue my watch over Sam.

When we reached the helicopter, Sam was lifted in first, and then the rest of us were allowed to climb in. It was about ten minutes before we could take off, and the air was choppy.

"It's alright, we're just experiencing some turbulence, that's all, nothing to worry about." Almost as soon as those words came out of Mr. Hall's mouth, the helicopter dropped sharply.

"Everyone, we are going to make an emergency landing! Hold on tight, it may be a little choppy!" the pilot called from the front. I looked down at Sam, fear for him gripping my heart and not letting go. Whimpers and scared murmurs filled the copter. We slowly made our way towards the icy ground, bouncing roughly a few times before coming to a stop.

"Okay a few of you go first, then I need to pull Sam out once there is a little room!" Jack ordered loudly. Brian, JD and I leapt out first. When I hit the ground I slid, and JD caught me before I could fall.

"Thanks," I muttered as we turned back to the helicopter. We were standing a little ways back, away from the blades. Mr. Hall was standing just outside the chopper, and Jason was lifting Sam out to him. A sudden gust of wind caught in the still-moving rotor blades, lifting the helicopter up and slamming it down again. I screamed, grabbing Brian's arm. Jack was thrown away from Sam, and his son was dropped to the ground a few feet from the blades.

"No," JD whispered, and I saw what he was seeing: the large machine turning in a slow circle, moving the blades closer and closer to Sam. They were still moving fast enough to kill him should they hit him.

"Sam!" Brian yelled. I turned to my friends for a second, deciding then and there that I would do what they had done for me, and I would risk what Sam was coming so dangerously close to losing. Sam had gone out to save my life, at the risk of losing his own, and I wasn't going to let him go now. He still had to know that I love him, be it that I tell him or that someone else does. He just has to live long enough to hear how much I love him.

"Oh, God, please be with me now," I whispered to myself, as I ran forward. I heard Brian, JD and Mr. Hall all yelling my name with fear, but I didn't let them phase me. Sam was the one person that meant more than anything to me, I didn't want to lose him. I slipped a little running to him, but I managed to get there and grab onto the rope of the sled and pull him away. My mind barely registered something hitting my arm. Sam was the only thing that mattered to me.

"Laura! Laura, oh, my God, are you okay? What were you thinking?!" Brian yelled, mixed feelings on his face.

"Brian, I was saving your best friend's life! He's made it this far I won't give up on him now! Wait, what do you mean am I okay?" Even as I was saying the words, I felt something wet and sticky flowing down my arm, soon followed by an incredible pain. "Ah, damn it…boy, that smarts," I winced. I knew that the blades had hit me, and I also knew that I was very lucky that it hadn't done worse.

"Here, let me wrap this around it to stop the bleeding. Are you okay?" I nodded, tears jumping to my eyes, but I pushed them back.

"Hurry, though, I'm worried about Sam, that jolting might have hurt him or something."

"Sam's okay, his dad is checking on him now, I think he might be conscious."

* * *

**(Sorry to end it that way! Lol. The whole Laura risking her life to save Sam was also Clintronic Waldrop's suggestion, thanks so much again! If you have any ideas for me please let me know! Also, a little heads up, I won't be able to post anything till after the weekend cause I'm going to my dad's and my computer is screwed up there, so I have to wait till I get back!)**


	7. The Wait

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Day After Tomorrow or any of the characters.**

**Author's Note:** This is my first The Day After Tomorrow story, and I hope you like it. Please review and let me know how you felt about it. I have several other stories written, and I need to know if I should post them or not! Thanks and enjoy!

**Summary:** Sam, Brian and JD had been running from the freezing cold of the eye of the super cell. But, instead of them all making it back just fine, Sam breathes in the incredibly cold air, and gets very sick. Laura wakes up to see him dying, but awake, and they share their feelings while the others rest. Will Jack make it to them in time to save his son? PG-13 for mild language and tense scenes

**Review Responses:** Thank you sooo much to those of you who reviewed…I've never had any reviews right after I posted the story! You are all so nice and I will keep posting for you, especially the ones who review for almost every chapter! You are the ones that always end up helping me make my story better, thanks for all the advice! (Clintronic Waldrop, Maigain, Kelly9, Sarah)

Now onto my next chapter!

* * *

**CHAPTER7: The Wait**

**LAURA**

As soon as I heard those words leave Brian's mouth, I pulled away from him, holding my arm close to my body to stop the jolting that sent knives up my body. The Helicopter was completely still now, and the others were climbing out carefully. Jack was talking to his son quietly, only allowing him to speak a little.

"Mr. Hall?" I questioned softly, coming up on the opposite side of Sam. He looked up at me, and I saw the tears in his eyes that were fighting to fall. Looking down to Sam, I saw the shadow if pain in his eyes, and my heart leapt to my throat. It hurt to see him in that much pain. "Oh, Sam." I fell to my knees next to him.

He smiled softly at me, and took my hand. My good arm wrapped around his shoulders in a loose hug, not wanting to hurt him more. "Laura…you're…you're hurt," he murmured, his voice gravelly and rough. My lips brushed the back of his hand before I spoke again.

"It doesn't matter. All that matters is that you are still with us, and you can still fight to stay that way until we can get you to a hospital and get you better."

He caressed my check with his free hand, and I held it there, closing my eyes. I tried to will some of my strength to him, so that he could make it to a hospital, but I didn't know if it worked or not. My heart told me that he wasn't going to be able to make it much longer at all.

"Jack?" the man named Jason called from a few feet away. His eyes were grim. "The helicopter needs to refuel, and can't do that without another one coming with it."

Mr. Hall cursed under his breath, and I knew that things were going to start going downhill very quickly from there.

"How long?" Jack questioned sharply.

Jason shook his head unknowingly. "A few hours, or maybe a few days. It all depends on the weather. You know better than anyone how unpredictable she can be right now. We'll just have to pitch out tent and wait it out."

Jack jumped to his feet, startling both Sam and me. I turned to the younger Hall and stroked his hair softly, trying to calm him a little, as Jack spoke with Jason. "Sam doesn't have any time! He can't wait it out! If this damn helicopter doesn't come in the next couple of hours, he will die!"

I stared at Jack for a minute. What was he going on like that for, right in front of Sam?! "Mr. Hall! Relax, please. Don't talk like that, at least not in front of your son. He's sick, and he doesn't need to hear you saying that he will die!"

"Oh, God, you're right. Look, can you stay with him? I need to go talk to this pilot."

I nodded, watching him as he walked away with Jason, talking heatedly to each other. I turned my attention back to Sam, and felt tears fill my eyes. Jack was right; Sam didn't have much more time.

"Laura…he's…right, you know. I…won't be…able...to make it…much longer."

The tears that were fighting to fall finally did, at his words. "No, no. Don't say that. You can fight it; you can stay with us until the other chopper gets here. Sam, you're too young and too special to die. You have done too much for the world to die, it's just not fair." I looked away from him for a moment, unable to get control of my emotions.

"I know, Laura, I know. But…I love you…and that's all…that matters. If I die…I won't feel…like I missed anything…because I know…that I love you…and you know…how I feel."

"But you will miss something, Sam! You would miss us being together, finally. You can't let go. Please, promise me you'll fight to stay with me," I pleaded, crying hysterically. His words terrified me, knowing that he was content and that he wouldn't regret anything if he died. How could he say that, how could he leave me?

"I promise you, Laura, that I will be with you forever and always. I love you too much to leave you. I will try to stay alive as long as I can, but I don't know how much longer that will be." His face was growing dangerously pale, and I knew the talking was sapping him of his strength.

I leaned down and kissed him on his forehead, and then leaned towards his ear. "Get some rest. I'll be right here," I whispered, much like I had done a few nights before.

We held each other's gazes for a moment, before he nodded, and let his eyes drift shut.

"How is he?" a voice asked from behind me. I turned to see Brian and JD standing a few feet away. With a sigh, I stood and faced them. "He's getting a little worse every day that he doesn't get treatment. But he just might make it to see his mother again."

The two guys glanced at Sam with concern in their eyes, and the three of us hugged. "Well, I hope the helicopter gets here soon, I don't see how Sam could wait very long," Brian whispered without letting go of the hug. We stood there, in a small group hug, for a few minutes, before we all watched Sam sleep.

* * *

**(Sorry this is a little bit shorter than my usual, but I had to stop there lol)**


	8. Will We Make It In Time?

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Day After Tomorrow or any of the characters.**

**Author's Note:** This is my first The Day After Tomorrow story, and I hope you like it. Please review and let me know how you felt about it. I have several other stories written, and I need to know if I should post them or not! Thanks and enjoy!

**Summary:** Sam, Brian and JD had been running from the freezing cold of the eye of the super cell. But, instead of them all making it back just fine, Sam breathes in the incredibly cold air, and gets very sick. Laura wakes up to see him dying, but awake, and they share their feelings while the others rest. Will Jack make it to them in time to save his son? PG-13 for mild language and tense scenes

**Review Responses:** Thank you sooo much to those of you who reviewed…I've never had any reviews right after I posted the story! You all keep me posting often, and there are a few reviews that I wanted to comment on:

_** Clintronic Waldrop**_: Again, thank you so much for the helpful tips! They mean so much to me and help me a lot!

_** Kelly9**_: lol thanks for letting me know what I'm doing well, I'll try to keep it that well, please let me know if I start to do worse lol thanks so much! (I cant tell you what's going to happen to Sam but I warn you it's going to be intense…or at least, I hope it'll come off that way…)

_** Maigain**_: Hehehe…I can't tell you if I will keep him or not…::evil laugh::

Sorry it took me so long to update, but here's your next chapter I hope you all like it!!

* * *

**CHATPER 8: Will They Make It In Time?**

**JD**

I glanced at Laura and then Brian, then finally Sam. It was so odd, seeing him so sick after getting used to him being in control and helping us out. He was extremely pale, and his lips were blue. Just by watching his breathing I could see that he didn't have much time. The three of us were sitting around him, trying to keep him as warm as possible while Mr. Hall talked to the pilot to try to figure out the quickest way to get us to Mexico.

"So, Brian, what was the worst trouble you ever got into in your lifetime?" I questioned suddenly, wanting to break the awkward silence and get everyone's mind off the fear and worry for Sam. It was very draining spending all of our time thinking about how if we didn't get him somewhere fast he would die.

Both Brian's and Laura's heads snapped up, shock in their eyes. I smiled wearily.

BRIAN/

I thought hard about JD's question, knowing his intent and silently thanking him. I had to get my mind off the possibilities that were forming in my head. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Laura glance at Sam, and start to smile, deep in memory. Instantly I knew what she was thinking of.

"The worst trouble I've ever been in was about three years ago, the end of our freshman year. We…Sam and I…were staying after school, and a bunch of bullies came over and started to hassle us. We were running from them, quite easily outwitting them. That is, until we ran right into the display statue, knocking it down and breaking it to pieces. We were suspended for two days. So the time he stuck up for Laura wasn't the only time Sam ever got in trouble at school. It was my only time. But I can tell you, my parents made certain that I didn't sit for those two days, that's for sure." When I finished, I looked down at my best friend and smiled at the memory. JD and Laura were both snickering also.

* * *

**LAURA**

Listening to Brian tell the story that I remembered so well yet had completely forgotten for the longest time, I couldn't help but smile. It was good to hear about the fun times, rather than worry and fret about the bad times that may still come. I watched Brian for a moment, who was looking down at Sam, lost in thought.

" Sam will make it, right?" I asked, with uncertainty threaded in each word. With a sigh, I realized that I had just ruined the happy mood that we had for a fleeting moment. It is hard to stay happy for long when your best friend is dying I thought to myself.

"Yes, he has to. He has too much to live for; too much he still has to do. I mean, what kind of world takes the ones that save so many people?" Brian voiced softly. Tears filled my eyes, not wanting to say what I was thinking.

"The kind of damned world that we live in. An unfair one," JD muttered. I looked over to him, and saw the pain and confusion in his eyes. He hadn't even known Sam for long, and he seemed to be very saddened and upset by Sam's worsening state. It seemed almost like he had known him as long as Brian and I had.

"If Sam doesn't make it, I don't think I'll know what to do anymore," I whispered. Brian put a comforting hand on my shoulder, and I felt him shaking, whether from the cold or from the frustration I wasn't sure. The gesture was enough to break down anything that I had that was stopping the tears from falling, and I fell into him a little, letting them go.

"Everything will be okay," JD comforted, moving over a little and rubbing my back. I didn't quite believe him, and it seemed like he didn't either.

* * *

**JACK**

The pilot of the helicopter was talking over his radio to another pilot that was on his way from Mexico, so I turned and looked out in the direction of my son and his friends. Laura and Brian were hugging, Laura's body shuddering with sobs, and JD was rubbing her back comfortingly. The two young men had sullen, defeated looks on their faces. In front of them was the still form of Sam. I dropped the bag that was over my shoulder and ran over to them, fearing the worst.

"What is it, is he okay, did something else happen?" I questioned frantically. The three of them looked up at me, slightly surprised, and one by one, shook their heads slowly.

"No…no nothing has changed Mr. Hall," Laura responded softly first.

"Well, besides the fact that he's running out of time," Brian added. "What is going on with the helicopters?"

"There is another one from Mexico on its way, it should be here within the hour. We're going to leave the other chopper here. We don't have time to refuel this one. We're all going to fly in one copter. Where are the others? They need to be ready in case the other one gets here soon."

JD looked around, and pointed out to the left of us. I looked that way, and saw about five people and a dog sitting close to each other and talking. With a final glance to the four young people before me, I headed over to them.

"Mr. Hall, what is going on?" a young woman asked. The others looked up at me also, hope in their eyes.

"The helicopter is on its way, we'll be going to Mexico shortly."

"How is Sam?" an older black man questioned, holding his dog close to keep it warm.

"Not well, he needs to get to a hospital soon," I replied.

The group looked at each other for a moment, then a woman stood and took my hand. "Your son saved our lives. All of us would be dead if it wasn't for him. Thank you so much, for your help as well. You are both amazing people."

I was a bit caught off-guard with her comment, but I smiled a little bit, comforted knowing that these people cared about my son also. Nothing else mattered to me at the moment aside from getting these people, especially my son, to safety. Laura also needed some medical attention, as her leg as well as her arm were badly injured.

"Mr. Hall! Mr. Hall!" JD called from where he and Laura and Brian were now standing, looking out towards the ocean-or where the ocean was supposed to be. "The helicopter is here!"

I looked up to the sky, and sure enough, a black helicopter was making its way down towards us. I turned and motioned for the others to follow, and we all moved over to where the helicopter was landing.

"Laura, Brian, JD, could you please carefully lift Sam into the copter? I have to go get Jason and the other pilot." The three of them nodded, so I turned and ran back to the other helicopter to get the two men.

Shortly, we were all in the air and making our way back to Mexico City, and the US Embassy. I watched Sam closely, seeing his skin turn even more milky-white. Laura was at his side, holding his hand and whispering for him to hold on.

"Will we make it back in time, Mr. Hall? For Sam, I mean?" Brian asked softly. I turned to him, trying to smile, but I couldn't. Not when my son was slipping away, and I had not gotten the chance to really get to know him, or spend some real quality time with him. I wanted to tell him how proud of him that I was, and how sorry I was for not being a good father to him.

"I honestly don't know, Brian, I hope so. But I just don't know."

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**(Again, I am soooo sorry for taking so long to post more!! I will try to post more often again!!)**


	9. Too Busy

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Day After Tomorrow or any of the characters.**

**Author's Note:** This is my first The Day After Tomorrow story, and I hope you like it. Please review and let me know how you felt about it. I have several other stories written, and I need to know if I should post them or not! Thanks and enjoy!

**Summary:** Sam, Brian and JD had been running from the freezing cold of the eye of the super cell. But, instead of them all making it back just fine, Sam breathes in the incredibly cold air, and gets very sick. Laura wakes up to see him dying, but awake, and they share their feelings while the others rest. Will Jack make it to them in time to save his son? PG-13 for mild language and tense scenes

**Review Responses:** Thank you sooo much to those of you who reviewed…I've never had any reviews right after I posted the story! You motivate me so much! Thank you!!

And now, onto the next chapter!!

* * *

**CHAPTER 9:Too Busy…**

**LAURA**

As soon as we reached Mexico, about five hours later, we took Sam to the hospital. It was one of the only buildings around. It seemed as though all of the tents had been pitched around it to make a large camp.

As we headed towards the Emergency Room, where Mrs. Hall would be waiting for us as well, I looked around at the different tents, of many sizes. People were running around in frenzy, many in tears. Seeing the chaos that had become of the people of the United States made me realize just how lucky we were to all be alive. Well, almost alive, I thought grimly to myself. Many people had lost their loved ones to the bitter cold.

"Laura…" Brian called from a few feet behind me. I turned around, to see the fear and worry on his face. I stopped and walked back to him, concerned.

"What's wrong, Brian?"

"What…about…our families?" His words hit me hard. Our families had been in Washington DC, several hours from where we had been in New York. Would they have made it alive? Would they be okay?

"Oh, God…I didn't think of that. Mr. Hall! Mr. Hall!" I called, not wanting to delay his getting Sam to help but needing to know about my family. I jogged up next to him, keeping up with his fast pace and glancing every so often to Sam, and feeling a pang of worry flood through me every time.

"Yes Laura, what is it?" Mr. Hall turned to me, his eyes slightly concerned. I knew that he was trying to seem compassionate, but I also knew that it was hard for him when he was worrying that his son was going to die in his arms.

"Do you know what happened to our families, or where we can find out?"

"If they were in Washington DC, they made it out fine. Everyone was evacuated from the city long before the storms hit there, so they are probably here or on their way. Why don't you and Brian and the others go find your families, I'll contact you if anything changes."

I shook my head vigorously; not wanting to leave Sam's side now that I knew my family was fine. "No, I want to be with him, I promised him I wouldn't leave his side. I don't want to let him down when he wakes up. I'm going to tell Brian about his family, thank you so much Mr. Hall."

I turned and ran back to Brian, who had apparently started to follow us again at a distance. It seemed as though everyone else had gone off to find any loved ones that had survived the storm. He held my gaze with panic flaring in his eyes, until I smiled. Then, he pulled me into a hug and let out a shuddering breath. "They're okay, they're okay, aren't they?" His question seemed more like a statement, but I answered him anyway.

"They're fine. They are either already here or on their way." We pulled back after a moment, and I continued, smiling. "You can go find them if you want to, I'll let you know-"

"No, I'm not leaving Sam. He's my best friend and I need to know that he's okay. My family isn't dying, they can wait." We smiled at each other sadly, before taking off at a trot after Jack and Jason. By the time we reached them, the two men had carried Sam on his makeshift backboard to the admission desk.

"I need to see Dr. Lucy Hall right away," Jack insisted. The woman told him that she was not working there, but she had been sent to an empty waiting room to wait for them. They were extremely backed up with all of the people flooding in after the disaster.

"Come on, Jack, we need to get him to Lucy, see if she can do anything for him while we wait," Jason urged, pulling his friend towards the waiting room.

As soon as Jack stepped foot into the room, Mrs. Hall had run over to them, crying. "Oh, my God, Jack, what happened to him?!"

"He…he took in a lungful of the super-cold air. He needs a doctor. Now. He doesn't have much time left, Lucy. I am going to go find a doctor who will help him." Jack took his wife's hands in his, and kissed them. "I won't let Sam die." With that, he ran out of the room. Jason and, surprisingly, JD followed him, and I wondered what my friend was up to.

"Oh, Sam, please hold on, we'll be back," Lucy said, glancing at me. I could see the conflict in her eyes, and knew that she was going to follow her husband. I knew how hard it was to leave her son's side, but I could see how much she wanted to make sure that there was a doctor for him as well.

"Brian and I will watch him. Go, Mrs. Hall, he'll be safe with us I promise. If anything changes we'll find you."

Lucy came up to me and hugged me tightly, pulling back and holding my gaze. Tears glistened in her eyes. "Thank you, Laura." She turned to Brian and thanked him too, before she turned and walked off.

"God, I hope he will be okay. He doesn't look like he can make it much longer, Laura. I hate to admit it, but I can see it in your eyes that you know I'm right."

I glared at Brian for a moment, wanting to hate him for what he was saying. But I couldn't. I knew too well that he was right. Sam was dying right before our eyes, and we were helpless to do anything for him. "I know, Brian. I hate it, but I know."

We hugged for a moment, until a small sound came from in front of us. I jerked back, and stared at Sam's still body…only it was no longer completely still. His eyes fluttered, and he groaned softly again.

"Sam!" I cried, kneeling down next to him, brushing some hair out of his face comfortingly. "I'm here, baby, I'm here. Brian's here, too. Hold on, just a little while longer, okay? Please."

He looked up into my eyes, his filled with pain and struggle. He reached for my hand, shaking and weak. A tear slipped from my eyes. He looked so defeated, so close to giving up. "I…I love you…" he murmured. My eyes widened, and I shook my head. Brian's hand rested on my shoulder comfortingly.

"No…no you…you fight it…you stay with me! STAY WITH ME, DAMNIT!" I nearly yelled, tears falling freely. "I love you, I can't lose you, Sam. I need you."

"C'mon, man, stay with us just a little longer, your mom and dad are looking for help now," Brian pleaded, while I caressed Sam's clammy cheek with the backs of my fingers. He kissed them, and then closed his eyes slowly, his body growing limp once more.

"Oh, God, Brian, what if he doesn't make it? What are we going to do?!" I questioned hysterically. He pulled me close, both of us shaking with sobs. I prayed that his parents would get back quickly with help, before it was too late.


	10. A Breath of Warm Air

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Day After Tomorrow or any of the characters.**

**Author's Note:** This is my first The Day After Tomorrow story, and I hope you like it. Please review and let me know how you felt about it. I have several other stories written, and I need to know if I should post them or not! Thanks and enjoy!

**Summary:** Sam, Brian and JD had been running from the freezing cold of the eye of the super cell. But, instead of them all making it back just fine, Sam breathes in the incredibly cold air, and gets very sick. Laura wakes up to see him dying, but awake, and they share their feelings while the others rest. Will Jack make it to them in time to save his son? PG-13 for mild language and tense scenes

**Review Responses:** Thank you sooo much to those of you who reviewed…I've never had any reviews right after I posted the story! You motivate me so much! Thank you!!

I am sooo sorry that I haven't posted again sooner…but I broke my leg and school started so I've been really busy. But I'm posting now, so you can't hurt me too terribly bad…or I won't be able to post again. Besides, I have to walk around on crutches, isn't that punishment enough? lol

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**ChHAPTER 10: A Breath of Warm Air**

**JACK**

I raced around frantically, trying to find a doctor that wasn't running around looking for medicine for their patients. Sam was dying, and there was no hope if there was no doctor to help him.

Sure, Lucy was a doctor. A damn good one at that. But she didn't have the machines or supplies that could save our son. That most likely involved an IV, and maybe one for the other survivors as well.

_Survivors._ The word sounded so insensitive. These people had gone through Hell and more, yet were still here. They had been there on a school trip...or there for work...when it happened. When the storms hit. Yet they stuck it out and kept each other alive. I knew that if I had been put in that situation at Sam's age I would have never made it out of there.

I turned when Lucy called my name. She and a tall man dressed in a white lab coat were coming towards me. "Well?" I questioned sharply, as I led the way back to the room we had left Sam in with Laura and Brian. JD joined us as well.

"He said that he can try to help Sam," Lucy murmured. I took her hand, and we glanced at each other in slight fear as we entered the room. Laura and Brian were sitting next to Sam, who still lay motionless. Laura looked up, and jumped to her feet when she saw the doctor.

"Can he help Sam?" she questioned softly. Brian joined her at his feet, and JD moved over beside them.

I sighed, unsure. "He can try." I looked past her and to my son. He was extremely pale, and his breathing was very short. He didn't have much time left. "Where do you want us to move him to?"

The doctor walked over to Sam, and shook his head. "Nowhere at the moment. I don't want to move him until it is absolutely necessary. Now, tell me exactly what happened," he instructed, looking at Laura, Brian and JD.

Brian looked at the others, and sighed. "Laura had gotten blood poisoning. There was a ship frozen in the water out in front of the library we had gotten stuck in. Sam, JD and I went out to find her some medicine, cause she was getting really sick. As we were coming back, the eye of the storm started to pass over us. I went into the room first and pulled JD in with me, but as Sam started to come, he stumbled so I had to pull him in. He had taken a lungful of the super cold air."

The doctor looked over to Laura quickly. "You had blood poisoning? Where was the infection?"

Laura took a deep, shaky breath. "In my leg, but I don't matter right now, Sam does."

The doctor shook his head. "No, you could get an infection again once the medicine wears off if you don't treat the injury. I want you to go find another doctor and tell them that you had blood poisoning and that you need care."

Laura stared at him furiously. "I am not going to leave Sam. He needs me right now. And if I get infected again, so be it! I don't care as long as I know that Sam is okay."

I watched Laura with deep sadness. She didn't want to leave Sam's side, but she knew in her heart that she had to, or she could die as well. "Laura, go. Take JD with you, and Brian will come tell you if anything happens. Or, get the doctor to come in here to treat you."

Laura watched me wearily, and I could see that she was in pain. She nodded solemnly, and turned to go out. JD, with his hand on her shoulder comfortingly, followed her out. She groaned, frustrated. "I want to stay with Sam...I want to be by his side..."

JD stopped Laura, both of his hands on her shoulders. "Laura, you'll be no help for Sam if you're dying again. He risked his life for you, and it's not fair for you to do it for him needlessly. It'll only take a few moments for you to be treated, then we will go right back to the waiting room. I'm sure Sam will be okay for a little while longer."

Laura sighed, and nodded. "I guess you're on." She took his hand and looked quickly for another doctor. "I need a doctor, please...my leg," she called out, and groaned when no one answered her. "I have to get back to my dying boyfriend! Please!" Tears started to fill her eyes, when a doctor finally came up to her.

"I can take you in here, miss. What's your name?" Laura looked over to JD, and sighed with relief. A sudden exhaustion swept over her, and she felt her knees give out. JD caught her before she hit the ground.

"Whoa, Laura...are you okay?"

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**((I am sooooo sorry that this took so long but I've been sooo busy. I'll post a new chapter soon I promise!))**


	11. The Reason?

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Day After Tomorrow or any of the characters.**

**Author's Note:** This is my first The Day After Tomorrow story, and I hope you like it. Please review and let me know how you felt about it. I have several other stories written, and I need to know if I should post them or not! Thanks and enjoy!

**Summary:** Sam, Brian and JD had been running from the freezing cold of the eye of the super cell. But, instead of them all making it back just fine, Sam breathes in the incredibly cold air, and gets very sick. Laura wakes up to see him dying, but awake, and they share their feelings while the others rest. Will Jack make it to them in time to save his son? PG-13 for mild language and tense scenes

**Review Responses: **Thank you all so much for your reviews. They mean more than you know to me!

_**Taryn**_-Thank you so much for the review, it was my wakeup call to post more. Here's your next chapter!!

I am sooo sorry that I haven't posted again sooner…and I'm not going to give you all excuses because there are none. I am going to try to keep up my posting frequently, but I think the story is almost done. Probably about 5, maybe 6 more chapters in it after this one. But don't worry, I'll be writing more!

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**CHAPTER 11: The Reason?**

**LAURA**

I took a deep breath, and nodded. "Yeah, I think I just need some rest. Seems like all this craze is getting to me. Lets just get this over with so we can get back to Sam." I looked up at the woman that had beckoned me into her office, and she gestured for me to get onto the table. JD helped me up, and then backed out of the woman's way.

"Can you tell me what happened, how you got this…" she questioned softly, examining my wounded leg. I winced slightly when she touched it with a gloved hand.

"My name's Laura. Uh…well…it happened when the streets started to flood really bad…and there was a French woman and her baby girl in the backseat of a taxi, stuck. The driver didn't know French, so I went to help her. I hit my leg on something under the water as I made my way over there, but I didn't pay any attention to it. Later on, I started to get sick, and eventually really sick. They found out I had blood poisoning and ended up getting me medicine for it," I explained, biting my bottom lip to suppress a gasp when she started to wipe it down with alcohol. JD moved over, and took my hand comfortingly.

"Where were you located?" the doctor questioned, looking up at me apologetically.

"New York," JD responded after a moment of silence from me. The pain was making my head spin, and I couldn't form my words. I was grateful to JD for his help.

"And you made it all the way here from there?! It's a miracle." I nodded slowly, as did JD. The doctor, Dr. Ellis as I saw on her badge, finished cleaning up my cut and wrapping it. She stood and stepped back a little. "I'm going to get you some morphine, that will help with the pain. I have to stitch this up, and you'll be fine. Good as new in a few weeks." I nodded curtly, and tightened my grip on JD's hand. His free one was placed on my shoulder.

Dr. Ellis left the room, then returned a few minutes later with a wheelchair and a small IV bag. She took the wrap off the needle, and felt the back of my hand gently for a vein. When she found one, she inserted the needle carefully. "Now I want you to hold on to this, squeeze it a little bit if the pain gets too much, and come back here when the bag is empty. It should take about a day or so for that to happen. Be careful not to jar this hand too much. The wheelchair is for you to sit in, of course. The morphine might make you drowsy. I don't want you to roll yourself around, understood? Be careful now." She smiled warmly. I returned the gesture with as much gratitude as I could muster.

"Thank you so much for this, you have no idea how much this means to me," I murmured. She took my good hand gently, with a smile.

"Good luck, Laura. I hope your boyfriend gets better soon." Tears filled my eyes a little, and she squeezed my hand before letting it go.

"Thank you," JD stated. He helped me into the wheelchair, and rolled it out of the room. We found the room that Sam was in as quickly as possible, and I sighed when I saw what was going on inside of it.

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**BRIAN**

I turned when I heard a sigh from the doorway, and saw Laura in a wheelchair, her leg wrapped in a white bandage, and JD behind her, concern in his eyes. I glanced down at Sam one last time, then stood to join them. "How'd it go?"

Laura never took her eyes from Sam, tears forming in them. "It'll be fine. What is going on?" Her voice was wavering. Only then did she look up at me, pleadingly.

I took a deep breath, glancing from her to JD. "The doctor needs to treat Sam with a machine that isn't very common. He knows its somewhere in the hospital, but he doesn't know where, and he's running out of time. He's fading really fast. At the moment, he's trying to blow warm steam into Sam's lungs, but its hard to do without his throat closing up. So he had to insert a rod in his throat to keep it open while he continued to blow in hot steam. He's showing Jack what to do now so that he can go find the machine." I looked down at Laura, and saw her sigh heavily. I noticed the IV in her hand. "What's that?"

"Morphine, for the pain," she replied simply.

"You know, we're probably going to have to get checked over completely once they get Sam better, and Laura's leg's healed. I mean, we went, what, a week without a lot to drink or eat? We're all dehydrated and hungry," JD pointed up. I looked over at him, and nodded.

"Yeah, that may be so, but right now Sam is our main concern," Laura snapped. I could see the pain in her eyes, probably from her leg, but the fear and worry was more evident. JD rolled her over closer to Sam so she could take his hand. The doctor stood and rushed out quickly.

Lucy looked over at Laura while Jack concentrated on the steam that was being blown into Sam's throat by a small fan-like device. "How are you feeling?" she questioned softly. Mrs. Hall seemed to understand Laura's pain. I had no doubt that she could see the love that Laura had for her son.

"A little drowsy, but okay," Laura responded numbly. A closer look at her showed me that she was getting pale. She was probably really tired by now. I certainly was.

"You should rest."

"No!" Laura snapped quickly, tightening her grip on Sam's hand. JD and I glanced at each other nervously. She was going to make herself sick all over again. But the love she felt for Sam was too strong to let her relax, and I could relate, in a different way. Sam was the best friend I had, and the fear of losing him was nearly paralyzing.

Mrs. Hall nodded slightly. "You're the girl that Sam joined the team for, aren't you? He never told me about you directly, but I could tell that he joined because of you. He never joined any clubs before he met you."

A ghost of a smile passed over Laura's lips, and she nodded. "He told me that I was the reason he joined right before I got sick" A frown suddenly marred her beautiful, yet pale face. "It's my fault this happened to him…I'm the reason he's…dying right now." A single tear fell onto her cheek. Lucy gasped.

"Oh, sweetie, no. It's not your fault," she soothed, stroking Laura's hair gently. The young woman-because that is what Laura had become while we were trapped in the library, a woman-shook her head stubbornly.

"Yes it is. It's because if me that he joined the team, and it's because of stupid me that he went out into the cold, just like Brian and JD. It's all my fault." She broke down in tears, bringing her hands up to cover her face. The IV bag of morphine started to slide off her lap, so I grabbed it and knelt down next to her, hugging her gently.

"It'll be okay. He's going to make it."

"How can you be so sure?" she questioned in a sob. I pulled her hands away from her tear-stained face, and smiled reassuringly at her. JD rubbed her back comfortingly.

"Because Sam's a fighter, and if anyone can survive this, it's Sam." Laura sobbed again, and threw her hands around my neck. Careful not to pull her needle out of her hand, I returned the hug too, and just let her cry into my shoulder. I felt Lucy's hand on my back as well.

"I need to take Sam to a different room for this procedure. Could you please bring him with me?" the doctor questioned softly, announcing his presence to us abruptly. Jack nodded, and lifted his son into his arms and followed the doctor out. I handed Laura her Morphine bag, which she squeezed a little. She had been trying to hide it from us, but I still saw it, and looked into her eyes.

I leaned in and whispered in her ear, "you don't have to hide your pain from us." I straightened up and gave her a meaningful look. She blushed slightly with embarrassment, and nodded sadly. JD turned the wheelchair and rolled Laura out after Lucy. I followed behind all of them. Silently, I was praying that this procedure would work for Sam and he would be okay, for his sake, and everyone else's. Especially Laura's.


	12. Ray of Hope

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Day After Tomorrow or any of the characters.**

**Author's Note:** This is my first The Day After Tomorrow story, and I hope you like it. Please review and let me know how you felt about it. I have several other stories written, and I need to know if I should post them or not! Thanks and enjoy! (If anyone is reading my PoTC story, Forever on the Run, it's been recently updated, so please check it out and let me know what you think!)

**Summary:** Sam, Brian and JD had been running from the freezing cold of the eye of the super cell. But, instead of them all making it back just fine, Sam breathes in the incredibly cold air, and gets very sick. Laura wakes up to see him dying, but awake, and they share their feelings while the others rest. Will Jack make it to them in time to save his son? PG-13 for mild language and tense scenes

**Review Responses:** lilsurfnchik25, Thir13en Ghosts- Elemental, ChibiYugiYasha, Sakura84067, Elizabeth Aiken, Taryn, and Harper's Pixie, thank you all so much for your kind reviews, you are the reason that I keep writing! This chapter is dedicated to you!!

**Note:** The situations in this chapter may seem a bit unrealistic, I don't know if it's actually possible or not, but that's what fiction's for, isn't it?

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**CHAPTER 12 (wow…longest story I've written on here…) Ray of Hope**

**JACK**

The doctor led us to a room down the hall, where I rested Sam down on the table and stepped back for the doctor to examine him. There was a large machine sitting in the corner or the room closest to the bed. All of the wires and monitors connected to it made me nervous.

"So…what are the risks of this procedure? And what will happen?" I questioned softly, gazing around the room until my eyes found the doctor.

"The procedure will involve a warm IV inserted in each arm, and warm air being pumped into his lungs. There are a few risks, but he will be faced with great risks no matter what you do. The greatest risk would be of his lungs collapsing. They are incredibly weak, and not allowing him to breath much at all at the moment, so that is a large possibility." The doctor sighed. "Before we go into this, I need you to know…that there is a low chance of him making it through this. But there is always a chance."

Lucy paled greatly at this, and I hugged her close to me. I heard Laura sob, but I kept my focus on my son, who was paler than the bed he was laying on, and his breath was so shallow that it was almost completely unnoticeable.

Without a word, some orderlies came in and helped the doctor set Sam up to the machine. They inserted needles into his arms, and then pulled out a long, wide tube. I had to look away when they inserted it into Sam's mouth and down his throat. A quick beeping caught my attention. Looking at the monitor that it came from, I discovered that it was his heart, beating twice as fast as my pounding one was.

"The tube is inserted. Tape it in place, and then start the procedure. The IV has been started." The doctor turned to me with a sad smile. "There is no telling how long this will take…it has only ever been done on people caught in natural cold. You can stay with him if you would like. An orderly will be with you at all times, and they will contact me if anything changes."

He then turned to the three teenagers behind Lucy and I.

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**BRIAN**

I had cringed when they forced the tube down Sam's throat, keeping it open. Hearing the doctor say that Sam had a slim chance of survival broke my heart. He had done so much for all of us…he didn't deserve to die. If there really were a God, Sam would survive. It was the only thing that could rightly come out of all of this…against all of the odds we had faced in the past week or so.

When the doctor turned to us, I had to suppress a rueful smile. We probably looked like quite the little gang of teenagers…none of us had eaten a proper meal since the party before the storms had hit, and we were all dehydrated. The storm had chilled us all to the bone, and that took more than Mexico's warmth to get rid of. Aside from that, Laura was in a wheelchair and J.D. was leaning against the handles, favoring his leg.

"I'm Dr. Brochio. You were all with him when this happened?"

I glanced at JD and Laura, and nodded to him.

"I want you to follow me. You all look undernourished, and in the strange atmosphere with a weak immune system could make you vulnerable to illnesses." I tried to resist, as did the other two, but he put up his hand. "We will be right down the hall, don't worry."

I sighed, and let the doctor lead the way to yet another room. We were all checked over, and given a large meal and hot cocoa. I ate it slowly, not used to having food after what had to be a couple of weeks, but I felt much better soon afterwards. Laura looked a little less pale as well, and was on the brink of sleep.

"Get some rest," I murmured, kneeling down before her. She looked up at me, and shook her head.

"What if something happens to him? I have to be here for him." Jack and Lucy Hall looked over at her from Sam's side, and smiled sadly.

"Laura, you need to sleep. If anything happens, I'll wake you up, I promise." I took the blanket from my shoulders, and wrapped it around her. She leaned back in her wheelchair after a moment, giving me a resigned look. I smiled, then leaned forward and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Sleep well."

I stood again, and sat down in the chair next to JD. "She's so worried for him. It seems like she's afraid of something more than just losing him," he whispered so that she couldn't hear. I looked over at him, and he offered to share the blanket that was wrapped around his shoulders.

With a grateful smile, I accepted his offer, and he moved the two chairs closer so that the blanket would reach around both of us. "I think she's still afraid that he doesn't know how she feels. She's afraid that he'll never get the chance to find that out."

"Ma'am? I just wanted to let you know that your son's condition is slowly improving. His pulse and blood pressure are getting stronger," a small orderly informed quietly, knowing that Laura was resting and the rest of us were deep in thought. I smiled to myself. There was a ray of hope in every dark situation…just like the one that had just broken through the veil of fear that had gripped all of us for so long.

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**(A/N: Just in case someone was confused, there is not and will never be slash in this story! JD and Brian are now close friends, and JD was giving a great gesture of friendship! Just to clarify! Lol)**


	13. Stormy Night

Disclaimer: I do not own The Day After Tomorrow or any of the characters.

Author's Note: This is my first The Day After Tomorrow story, and I hope you like it. Please review and let me know how you felt about it. I have several other stories written, and I need to know if I should post them or not! Thanks and enjoy!

Summary: Sam, Brian and JD had been running from the freezing cold of the eye of the super cell. But, instead of them all making it back just fine, Sam breathes in the incredibly cold air, and gets very sick. Laura wakes up to see him dying, but awake, and they share their feelings while the others rest. Will Jack make it to them in time to save his son? PG-13 for mild language and tense scenes

Review Responses:

Taryn- Thanks so much for the review. Don't get comfortable yet…it's not quite over for our crew.

Techie214- Aw, that's such a sweet thing to say…it's reviews like yours that make me want to post more…thank you so much, you just made my day!

All- I am sorry this took so long to come, but it's here now…please forgive me. I had intended to get it out sooner, but I've been incredibly busy with school and the musical. And no, I have nothing against homosexuals, it's just not my style of writing, and I didn't want anyone to get confused. Hope you like this next chapter. If not, maybe you'll like the next few chapters coming after that! (4 or 5 to go…I think I'm going to cry when its all over…but it has to end somewhere, right…I promise I'll write another one!)

CHAPTER 13: Stormy Nights

LAURA

A loud crash shattered my dreams, and jerked me awake. I winced against a sharp pain in my hand, and, looking down, I remembered where I was. The IV needle was sticking at an odd angle into the back of my hand. I groaned. Since the morphine bag was empty, I pulled it out carefully, clenching my jaw slightly.

"Morning, Laura," Brian yawned. I looked up at him from my wheelchair, and smiled halfheartedly. "How did you sleep?"

"Other than being at an odd angle, and finishing up my morphine bag…okay. How about you?" Brian sighed, and nudged JD awake next to him.

"I'm up…I'm up." I giggled a little bit, but then was calm only a few minutes later. Mr. and Mrs. Hall were both asleep at Sam's side, who was still as pale and weak as ever. A sigh fought to escape my lips, and succeeded.

"Come on, Laura, let's get you to that doctor and get you a new morphine bag," Brian suggested. I looked up at him, and shook my head. "You are going to this doctor, whether you like it or not. You need painkillers."

JD stood, shook off the sleep still in his eyes, and moved behind me. Brian led us out to Dr. Ellis' office, and knocked softly on her door. She looked up, and smiled warmly. "Come in, come in. Laura, right?" I nodded to her without a word. "You seem to be a little better. Would you like more painkillers?"

I shook my head. "No, thank you, Dr. Ellis. I think I can deal with it from here on out. I just came to let you know that this bag was finished, that's all. Thank you so much for your help."

Dr. Ellis nodded. "Of course. Come see me if you need anything else at all, okay?" I nodded, and then looked around when the lights flickered. "Oh dear…this storm just keeps getting worse and worse. Not like the one we had before was bad enough. This is just rain and some thunder and lightning, but the lights have been flickering on and off for the past hour. We just have to pray they stay on, or we'll be in some real trouble."

I nodded, shivering despite the warmth from the blanket around my shoulders. This storm had the potential of knocking out the electricity, and killing people hooked to machines…like Sam. I prayed fervently for the electricity to stay on.

The three of us slowly made our way back to the room, and I saw Mr. and Mrs. Hall sleeping near Sam. I rolled my wheelchair over next to them, and just watched Sam. His skin was slightly darker than it had been before…he was no longer as pale as a ghost. Maybe he was finally getting better…the thought made me smile.

"He'll be okay, Laura…he's strong. He's made it this far…he can't have saved you for nothing," Brian whispered, a teasing tone in his voice at the last sentence. I looked up and smacked his arm lightheartedly. "Oh, you know what I mean. Of course he saved you so you would survive…but I mean for him. He saved you because he loved you. He has to be able to have something to show for it…"

I nodded my understanding, when the electricity went out completely. I have a jump of surprise, and stared at Sam. He was still breathing…but just barely. Without the different machines keeping him breathing properly, he could die soon!

"Sam…Sam, baby, if you can hear me, please hold on, ok?" Mrs. Hall pleaded, her hands shaking.

The tense silence was broken by a nurse running in, and flipping a switch beneath Sam's bed. Brian, who had jumped up to stand next to me, breathed a sigh of relief, as did I when the machines lit up again. "A generator," I breathed.

Mr. Hall hugged his wife tightly, and then turned to the nurse. "Will he be okay?"

The nurse checked his vitals quickly. "I think he'll be fine. He's starting to get a little stronger every day, and thankfully, this little outage didn't hurt him too bad. It's just going to delay the healing process. But I am pleased to say he looks to be on the road to recovery," she informed with a grin. "Once he's stable enough, we'll move him to a more open room."

The Halls smiled gratefully. "Thank you so much," Mrs. Hall sobbed, tears slipping down her cheeks. Brian placed a hand on my shoulder, and I covered it with my own. He was going to be okay!

Okay, again, I am soooo sooo soo sorry that this was so late! But thank you all soooo much for your patience…I will try to update faster next time!


	14. Better All the Time

So…yeah…I know I'm absolutely horrible, and I am sooo sooo sooooooo sorry for making you wait over a year. Thank you for putting up with me. The story's coming to a close. I think there might be one more chapter and then an epilogue. I'll try to get them up soon.

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**Chapter 14: Better All the Time**

Within a few days, Sam could be moved to a more open room, with fewer machines. He was no longer on any sort of life support, aside from the IV providing him with nutrients until he woke up, which the doctors claimed could be any day.

Brian and Laura had both already found their parents, two days after the blackout. JD had heard that morning that his family had still been in Philly, but managed to survive the storm, and were on their way to the hospital. Laura smiled at the memory of seeing her mother for the first time in days.

_"Laura?" a soft, timid voice called from the doorway. Laura spun around quickly, and nearly collapsed out of joy. Her hand flew to her mouth, keeping her from screaming in excitement. Brian looked up at the same time as Mr. and Mrs. Hall, and all three smiled. Laura's mother and sister were standing in the doorway, tears streaming down their faces. Laura's eyes welled up as well. She ran forward, throwing her arms around her mother's neck. Her younger sister hugged her too, and the mother wrapped her arms around both of her children. _

_Brian felt happy for Laura, but at the same time, his heart ached for his own family. "Uh…Mr. and Mrs. Hall? I…I think I'm going to go look for my mom and dad," he whispered, easing himself out of the room around the hugging, crying family. Laura reached up and brushed his shoulder comfortingly as he passed. He hesitated, turning to look at her. She watched him over her mother's shoulder, and nodded to him. He knew that she was telling him that he would find them. He smiled, and mouthed 'thank you', before turning, and running back the bustle of people in the halls of the hospital. _

_"Oh, Mom, I was so afraid that I'd never see you guys again. I love you both so much," Laura whispered, trying to hold in a sob. Her mother broke down even more, and her sister tightened her hold on her older sibling's legs. The young girl pulled back, staring up at Laura with a huge smile and even bigger blue eyes. Laura pulled away from her mother, and lifted her sister into her arms. "I don't know what I'd do if I never saw you again, Elly. I love you." _

_"I love you too, Laurie," Elly responded, kissing Laura on the cheek. _

"Laura?" Brian's voice drifted through her thoughts, pulling her out of her reverie. She looked up at him with a smile. His dad stood in the doorway. "Laur, we're going to take JD over to find his family. They're at the embassy. Do you want to stay here, or come along?"

Laura glanced over at Sam for a moment, and her smile grew more affectionate and happy. She looked over her shoulder at her friend. "I'm gonna stay here. His parents went to get some food. It's been so long since Mrs. Hall ate anything; Mr. Hall forced her to go out. I'll stay here at least till they get back, who knows if he'll wake up today? I don't want him to be alone."

Brian nodded, smiling, and waved to her. She waved back, and then turned back to her boyfriend. She took his hand, placing a gentle kiss on the back of it.

She was startled when she felt a light squeeze in return. Her eyes flew to his face, and she watched as his eyes squeezed for a moment, before beginning to flutter open. Laura began to stroke the back of his hand to help him wake up. "C'mon, baby, wake up for me, okay? That's it, just open your eyes," she coached softly, watching with tears in her eyes as he looked up at her. He seemed dazed and disoriented, but awake nonetheless. "Hey. How do you feel?"

"I-" he broke down into a coughing fit. Laura reached over to get him the glass of water waiting for him, and tipped it to his lips very slowly. Once he had painfully downed a few sips, he tried again. "I feel like…I'm thawing out." His voice was very rough, and much deeper than normal.

Laura laughed softly. "Well, Sam, it's because you are. You were nearly killed because you inhaled a lungful of the supercold air. But you're still here with me, and that's all that matters. But I don't want you to talk a whole lot, this whole thing's wreaked havoc on your throat, okay? So be careful. I'm going to find your parents. I'll be right back, okay?"

"Stay," he murmured, gripping her hand. She looked down at him sympathetically, and nodded. A gasp sounded from the door, and both heads turned to see his mother standing in the doorway with his father not far behind. Both were smiling with joy. Laura stood, kissed Sam on the forehead, and stepped back to give his parents room to see their son.

"I'm going to go find a doctor." Laura left the family, giving them privacy, and found a nurse to let them know that Sam had stirred. After that, she decided to head to the embassy, and let his best friends know the good news as well. Finding them was near impossible in the huge crowd of refugees, but when she did, Brian knew by the look in Laura's eyes that he was awake.

He grinned from ear to ear, and swept her up in a great hug. "How is he?"

"Tired, pale…but alive and awake. Oh, Brian…he's getting better finally! He's going to be okay!" she breathed, her emotion choking her up. Tears slid down her cheeks, and Brian pulled her to him in a more solemn, comforting hug. He knew that she was letting go of the fear and grief, and, most of all, guilt –however misplaced it had been- that she had been carrying with her since the moment she'd woken up to find him sick and dying, so he just held her, and let her cry.

"It's all okay now, Laur. He's going to be okay." He kissed her on the temple, stroking her hair as she sobbed into his shoulder. "Let it out."

They stood that way for about ten minutes, until her sobs and tears subsided, and she pulled back to see JD standing, bewildered and looking afraid, with his family behind him, talking quietly with Brian's father. Laura smiled reassuringly, wiping her tears away. "He's awake."

Relief took over JD's features, and he let out a breath. "Thank God. Don't scare me like that again!"

Laura laughed, enjoying the relaxation that had washed over her in the past few moments. "Sorry," she replied softly, realizing that it was the first time she hadn't been tense since she woke up from her injury. She glanced down at her leg, happy that it had stopped hurting a couple of days ago. She hated being fussed over, so she loved not having to sit in a wheelchair all the time.

"Let's go see Sam," Brian suggested, holding out his arm for Laura to take. She grinned, looping her arm through his, and grabbed JD's arm, tugging him along. The three walked arm-in-arm back to the hospital, with the families trailing behind them, smiling at the sights of their children, all happy, and all safe. It was a good day.

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(I'm sorry about the cheesy last sentence…but I'm feeling kinda cheesy today. I think I'm just gonna go to the epilogue next, hopefully that'll be longer than this chapter was.) 


	15. Epilogue

Okay, so this is finally the epilogue! After two years, I'm actually finished the first story I've ever posted. Thank you sooo much to those of you who stuck by me the entire time, waiting for a year sometimes between posts. I'm still really sorry for that, by the way. I don't know why this was so much harder to write than any of my other stories. But hey, it all worked out in the end.

EPILOGUE- three weeks later

Sam hugged his mom and dad tightly, before leaning down and hefting his luggage onto his shoulder. After the stress of the past month and a half, the teenagers were all taking a trip deeper into Mexico, to get away from the chaos of the refugees for a while.

Laura waved to the Halls, and held her hand out for Sam to take. He intwined his fingers with hers, smiled back at his parents, and turned to load his things into the old, beat-up car they'd managed to buy a week after Sam had been released (which was two weeks ago). Their next stop would be to pick up JD, and then Brian. After that, the group would be on their way towards the Yucatan Peninsula for a couple of weeks of relaxation.

"How you feeling today, baby?" Laura questioned softly, tracing a small circle lightly along his wrist soothingly. Sam smiled at her, and kissed the back of her hand. "I'm feeling better than ever, thanks to you. I'm so excited about this trip, Laur. We deserve this after everything we've had to go thru lately." Laura grinned, and shook her head in amusement.

By the time they'd picked up Brian and gotten on their way, the four friends were itching to hit the bech for some much-needed relaxation. They all took turns driving, Sam driving the least due to some lingering fatigue. When he and Laura weren't driving, JD and Brian took their places in the front. Occassionally the four would fall quiet for an hour or so, where Sam would fall asleep with his head in Laura's lap, with her affectionally stroking his hair.

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It took them about a day to reach their destination: Cancun. No longer the major tourist spot, it wasn't as crazy as it usually would have been...before the storms. But there were still quite a few people, though it didn't bother the four enough to stop them from enjoying themselves. As soon as they got there, they set up a blanket in a free spot of sand. Sam glanced quickly at JD and Brian, feeling suddenly worried. They smiled supportively, nodding. Sam nodded back, and took a deep breath. "Laura?"

The sole female turned to him, trusting love clear in her eyes. "Yeah, Sam?"

"I, uh...I have a question for you." He slowly bent down on one knee. Tears immediately jumped to Laura's eyes, and her hand flew to her mouth. JD and Brian glanced at each other, smiling brightly. Everyone around stopped and watched the tender moment with a smile. "I know, we're still just teenagers...but...we've been through hell these past two months. I can't imagine living my life with anyone else but you...especially not after knowing how quickly all of it could be taken away. Will you marry me?"

Before he'd even finished his sentence, she was nodding. "Yes! Yes!" she sobbed, throwing her arms around his neck. She kissed his neck, and then along his jaw to his mouth. Applause filled the air, and they both pulled back, startled and happier than words could ever express. They looked at each other, and Laura began giggling. Sam pulled a ring out of his pocket. Laura's eyes widened. "Sam, how-"

"It was my mom's. She wanted you to have it now."

As he slid the ring onto her finger, tears spilled down her cheeks in pure joy. She hugged him one more time, before turning and hugging Brian and JD. The friends celebrated their engagement, and the beginning of their new lives...always together. Always.

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THE END! What did you think? I hope i did it justice, please let me know if I should redo it or anything. I hope you guys liked it! Thank you sooo much for your support!


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